Eyass #3 is making really good progress recovering from its broken leg sustained from a rough landing on the sidewalk after leaving the nest too soon. S/he is now grabbing and holding food with the foot that's on the "bad" side.
then be moved from its current small cage to a much larger outside cage to begin serious flight training so that the muscles in its wings and legs can gain the strength and conditioning necessary for flying.
Meanwhile, the eyasses celebrated Bastille Day with a sunrise swoop along the Champs-Élysées-inspired Parkway.
French urban planner Jacques Greber designed the Parkway in 1917 to emulate the Champs-Élysées in Paris. The Champs-Élysées terminates at the Arc de Triomphe, and the Parkway ends at the Art Museum, reminding one of Paris while in Philadelphia.
The Parkway also has an international flavor lined as it is with flags of countries from around the world upon which our hawks frequently perch!
Scott Kemper
Following the Franklin Institute hawks around the city takes one past a seemingly never-ending series of architectural and landscape delights.
Carolyn Sutton
But the most exciting event of Tuesday was seeing one of the eyasses catch its first live prey! Kay Meng and I caught up with Carolyn on the Parkway as the eyasses made their way back from the Art Museum.
Kay Meng
... as one of the eyasses perched on a lamp pole and watched small birds hopping around under the trees of the Parkway.
We weren't really paying much attention as we've now seen them perch, watch, chase, pounce... and miss so many times.
But this time it had a different ending. The eyass finally zeroed in on a bird that had no idea it was a target.
The eyass took off from the lamp post at high speed, flew down low and across the Parkway, and landed on the ground at the side of a tree. It was too far away at that point for Kay to photograph. The hawk then left the ground and we could clearly see that it had something in its talons.
It settled up on another lamp post, and as we got closer, we could see the feathers raining down as it defeathered what appeared to be a small bird.
Kay Meng
While I never take pleasure in seeing a creature killed, I did feel great excitement as it means that this eyass now knows how to hunt and feed itself which greatly increases its odds of survival beyond the end of the summer when the haggards will stop feeding their youngsters via food drops.
It was eating so enthusiastically that several body parts were consumed still feathered!
Kay Meng
When it finished eating, it hopped up onto the end of the pole...
... wiped its beak a couple of times on the rounded surface, and then took off for a nearby tree...
... where it sat for a while - perhaps looking taller and prouder.
Here are a couple more pictures from Kay of our hunting hero before The Epic Chase when it was still looking around....
... and being goofy!
The eyasses' world is definitely increasing in size each week. Their territory now extends from the red light district at 19th Street...
... to the pine grove at the Art Museum up at 24th Street.
It looks as though this year's eyasses may stay around longer than last year's when our final sighting was July 17, in contrast to the first year with the Franklin eyasses when the last eyass sighting was August 29.
So stay tuned to see how this summer continues......
Posts
Incredible photos, as always.
ReplyDeleteNot to mention the continuing updates.
I love this unusual perspective on the Franklin Pkwy.
I keep singing in my head "is this the little hawk I carried" lol Fiddler on the Roof
ReplyDeleteGreat update and pictures, and even better news about our Squishy! Love all of Kay's photos, especially the smug look on our eyass's face after consuming that poor bird, and Scott's shot of the two of them sitting on one of the flagpoles on the Parkway. Cardi's shots of Philadelphia make me proud to live here and hopeful that everyone who doesn't will visit one day- the Parkway and architecture are truly beautiful. Thanks Della, as always, for another great blog.
ReplyDeleteMMGgolfer
Maria - now I can't get that damn song out of my head - thanks a lot!
ReplyDeleteYes, I'm so delighted, both with the photos and the hawks, but also that they are revealing themselves in such an unlikely but majestic landscape. I visited both The Franklin Institute and the Art Museum 20 years ago, and have always recalled the perfection of the local architecture and the great landscapes upon which the buildings reside.
ReplyDeleteWithout the hawks, the Parkway is stunning. With the hawks... there are no words to describe this wonderful spectacle. I commend all of the photographers and writers here, telling the entire world this wonderful story once again.
Long live the eyasses!
-John Blakeman
I've discovered this old post on another blog relating how
ReplyDeleteour "teacher" Falconer, John Blakeman help resolve the RedTail Hawk predicament in NYC years ago. In hope he doesn't mind me sharing this.
http://mariewinnnaturenews.blogspot.com/2007/02/about-john-blakeman.html
I think the goofy picture should be captioned "Live long and prosper."
ReplyDeleteGreat photos and Kay's photo with the intense stare is great.
Thanks for the photos and the coming updates. It's a pleasure to follow your blog. Thanks for the information about eyass #3, I was really looking forward it. I'm glad she is recovering ok. I also hate to see small birds being killed but, I'm with you Della, it was very enthusiastic to see that the eyasses are managing to get prays by themselves which give us got expectations about their chances to survive. Congratulations for the photos, Kay and Carolyn. Looking forward for the next post.
ReplyDeleteThese photos -- and the comments with them! -- are fantastic! And thanks so much for the news on #3. How long before she's returned to the nest, do they think?
ReplyDeleteWell I can report a fresh eyeass sighting. My husband was driving me to work and as we were passing the art museum one of them came diving down right in front of our car. There must be a rabbit den there. Another bystander on the street said that shortly before we came by another hawk (adult/eyass ?) made a successful dive at a rabbit. We pulled over and made sure that h/she was safe from traffic as they were right on the edge of a very busy street. The hawks always seem so oblivious of the cars around them its a little alarming. I've also had several eyeass sightings at the hospital. (University of Penn several miles to the west of the Franklin hawks) The haggards seem to be dropping food away from the nest more and more. I've seen them drop food a couple of blocks away on the Penn campus. The eyeass are also becoming very adept at flying. How lucky am I that I can hawk watch at work and at home ? Thanks as always for your beautiful photos. And I second John Blakeman's proclamation...Long live the eyasses !
ReplyDeleteEileen
Fairmount
What a wonder! I've been following these little guys since they were little fuzzballs. These photos are over the top..I've loved Philadelphia from the first and love to visit. Now even more. Thank you for your excellent updates on all three.
ReplyDeleteAnn
Sunnydixie:
ReplyDeleteThe elegance of this blog is stunning. The photographers' pictures are breathtaking--always. Not one is better than any other….how lucky are we that all of you share your skill and talents with the rest of us. My heart is filled with the beauty captured here. Thank You So Much.
UWestsider--from the Washington Square Park group in NYC